On-line coal analyzer

Abstract

A method for on-line analysis of a coal sample. Four radial arms (16) extend from the output shaft (28) of an indexing motor (14). Sample cups (12) at the ends of the arms are indexed along a circular path past a filling station (18) where the cup is filled with pulverized coal, an analyzing station (20) where various chemical analyses are performed on the coal sample, a dumping station station (22) where the residue of the coal sample is dumped for disposal, and a cleaning station (24) where the sample cup is cleaned in preparation for another analysis cycle.

I claim: 
     
       1. A process for the on-line analysis of coal comprising the steps of rotating a sample cup of known volume around a centrally located drive means, filling said sample cup with a sample of pulverized coal at a first station, weighing said sample, using said weight and volume of said sample to calculate the bulk density of said sample, indexing said sample cup to a second station, performing at least one analysis step on the coal sample at said second station, monitoring the weight of said sample cup during said at least one analysis step to indicate complete drying of said sample when no more weight loss is detected, indexing said sample cup to a third station, dumping the residue of the coal sample at said third station, indexing said sample cup to a fourth station, cleaning said sample cup at said fourth station, and rotating said sample cup back to said first station. 
     
     
       2. The method as defined in claim 1, in which said sample cup is initially overfilled at said first station, and said sample is leveled to the top of said sample cup between said first and second stations to provide a known volume of coal for analysis. 
     
     
       3. The method as defined in claim 1 in which said cleaning step is carried out until the weight of said sample cup is within a predetermined range of the original tare weight of said sample cup. 
     
     
       4. The method as defined in claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein a plurality of said sample cups are indexed simultaneously whereby said filling, analysis, dumping and cleaning steps are performed substantially simultaneously.